Lymm Reservoir Water Quality Test by Keynes Controls
The ARGES Water Quality kit was deployed at Lymm reservoir in May 2025 in order to investigate the quality of the drinking water proir to it leaving the reservoir for use with the local population.
The kit was laboratory calibrated just prior to the deployment. Of particular interest for this investigation was the level of background sewage in the water. Two independent sewage indicator sensors were fitted into the multiparameter system.
Measurement System
The ARGES Multiparameter Sonde deployed at the Lymm Reservoir was configured with 2 x Sewage Sensors, 1 x CDOM sensor, 1 x Nitrate sensor, 1 x Potassium sensor, 1 x Turbidity sensor and a submersible brush unit. The fluorometer optics are cleaned automatically by the brush unit before a measurement is made.
The test site was cerefully chosen to ensure that the water of of a suitable depth and the SONDE was in shade. Fluorometers use light to determine chemical concentrations and important that the background light level used at the time of measurement is of a satisfactory level not to interfere with the results. Simply taking a measurement with a fluorometer in the water sample does not guarantee that the measurement is correct. The background light level is monitored and recorded.
The real-time SONDE was used at the Lymm Reservoir and the results displayed to a Windows Laptop Screen. Measurements were stored to a comma seperated text file. The ARGEs pH sensor takes several minutes to settle after deployment to the correct level. All of the other ARGES Water Quality sensors respond immediately upon insertion into the river.
The ARGES Water Quality kit is modular and can be reconfigured in the field should that be necessary. The fluorometer optics were cleaned using the submersible brush unit prior to any measurement being taken.